Bumper for vehicles.



0. P. BROWN & J. L, UHLIK.

BUMPER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1910.

Patented June 27, 1911.

(Emma Llhfuxoeaeoa.

and JOHN L. UHLIK, citizens'of the United noun r. BROWN AND JOHN L.unLrKfor nnrrnorr, mrcnrean, AssreNons T0 WENT- wonrnMANUFACTURING-5COMIZANY, or pnrnorr, MICHIGAN.

sumrnnironnvrnrcms To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, COLIN P. Bnown States of America, residing atDetroit, in the county of Wayne and 'State'of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Bumpers for Vehicles, of whichthe following is a. specification, reference being bad therein to theaccompanying drawings. a

This invention relates to a type .oitbumper which essentially consistsof a springbacked rail supported in front of the vehicle body and oneobject of the invention is to support the bumper in such manner that thethrust is directly brought upon the chassis.

Another object is to make the bumper ex tend over the whole front of thevehicle without making it liable to interlock with the wheels of othervehicles standing close to it when backing away from the curb all ofwhich objects we accomplish in the manner more fully hereinafterdescribed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa-diagrain plan view of a bumper embodying our invention showing it asattached to the vehicle body; Fig.2 is a-diagrammatic side elevation ofthe bumper and of the means for supporting it Fig.3 is an enlargedhorizontal section of part of the bumper; and Figs. 4: and 5 are crosssections of Fig. 8 on the lines 00-40, y-y respectively.

Special fittings are provided for the attachment of thebumper rail tothe forward ends of an automobile which fittings consist 7 ofapair ofbutter casings lsecured to the forward end of the side, members 2 of thechassis by a pair of oppositely disposed rearwardly ext-ending lugs 3and 4'. A bolt 5 which if preferred may also he the supporting means forthevehicle spring 6 passes through the lugs which bear against thesidesof the chassis member 2. A strap 7 ,enga ed at its rearward endby thescrewthreaded shank 8 of a hanger l), riveted or made fast in anypreferred manner to the "chassis mom-1 her 2. Nuts 10 or likemeans holdthe-strap The. inner open end of each casing l'is filled with a buflerblock 11 of rubber or like elastic material to resist the rearward movement of a bushing 12 screwthreaded on or otherwise secured to the innerend of a stem 13. The latteris slidingly supported in a Specificatnm ofLetters Patentfid J 27 191 application filed-July 15, 1916. Serial l io.572.209.

guide aperture in the forward end. of the casing 1, its rearwardmovement being rested not only by the buffer block but by a coiledspring l lencircling the stem and held under compression between thecasing and'a transverselyapertured head 15 on the outer end of the stem.The heads 15 su port a transversely disposcdtubular railwhich consistsof the middle ortion 16 and the end portions or arms 17 ingedto theouter ends thereof. As shown in. the drawing the hinge comprises atubular member 18-secured by set screws 31 in the end of portion 16 andextending outwardly therefrom, the projecting portion being horizontallyslotted and provided at its end with car 19. A cotiperating hinge member20 providid with an ear 21 is pivoted bya pin 33 passing through saidear 21 and the cars 19 in the slotted end of the member 18. It has acylindrical, nip le 22 by which the rail member 17 issecured to it. Achain 23 or'like flexible connection is secured to the inner end of thehinge member 20 as by a pivot pin 2i or the like andextends axiallythrough the hinge member 18 and rail 16 to a connection with a tension I:17 preferably form a backward curve and a rub er cap 32 is secured on.the. outer eiid of each arm. g "e v In practice the tension of thesprings 29 keeps the arms 17 normally extended and the whole appearanceis that of a continuous bumper railextending over the whole front of thevehicle: The arms are firmly held by the hinge joint to resist any forcestriking against itfrom" t :e front, in facttherail is made therebystronger than a one piece rail but when the vehicle backs and the armsshould be caught by adjacent hiclcs or other obstructions, either orhtith arms will be caused'toswing forward upon theirpivots until theobstruction is passed.

I In thus swinging forward the tension of the springs 29 is increasedand as soon as 'the arms are released they are automatically re turnedto place by thesprings. Thus injury to the car or to adjacent vehiclesor other obstruct-ions isavoided while the bumper rail may be made toextend the whole width Ofthecarq Ihe O P PBr len cause rattling. 1

construction of the hinge joint is particularly designed to make astrong support and connection between the sections of the rail and toprevent any lost motion that would Obviously, changes in the details ofconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention and we do not care to limit. ourselves to any particulariorrppr arrangement of parts. "lie claim as our invention:-

1. in a vehicle bumper, a bumper rail consisting of a central portionsupported by the vehicle, end portions extending there from and springhinges connecting the end portions with the central portions andn1aintaining them yieldingly in alinement there-- with.

the vehicle, end portions hinged to the outer ends thereof andadapted'to swing in a horizontal plane and a tension device connectingeach end portion with the central portion and adapted to maintain theend portion in its normal position.

3. In a vehicle bumper, a bumper rail comprising a central portionsupported by the vehicle, end portions hinged to the outer ends thereofand adapted to swing in a horizontal plane and tension devices locatedwithin the central portion and adapted to maintain the end portions intheir normal I positions.

.by the vehicle,

4. In a vehicle bumper, a tubular bumper rail comprising a centralportion supported end portions and spring hinges connecting them to thecentral portion each hinge consisting oftwo members secured to theadjacent ends of the "rail pore tions respectively and having a tongueand slot engagement with each other, projecting ears onisaid memberspivotally secured together, a tension device in thestationary railportion. and a flexible connection between said tension device and themovable member ofthe hinge.

5. In a vehicle bumper, r tubular bumper rail comprising a centralp'gntion supported .2. in a vehicle bumper, a bumper rail comprising acentral portion supported by laterally by the vehicle end portions, andspring ing placed at the outer end of the stationary vice housed in thecentral rail portion and a flexible connection connecting said tensiondevice with the movable .member of the hinge. I

7. In a vehicle bumper, a bumper rail comprising a central portionsupported by the vehicle, end portions, and springhinges yie'ldinglyconnecting them in alinement with the central portion, said end portionsbeing curved rearwardly and provided with rubber caps at their outerends.

8. In an automobile bumper, the combisupportcd a, the forward ends ofthe chassis, horizontal supports carrying a bumper rail guided in said.casings,=bufi'er springs upon said support, rubber butl'ers inthecasings, a bumper rail having a central section rigidly secured in theouter ends of the sup ports, and end portions yieldingly secured totheouter'ends of the central section.

Intestiinony whereof we atlix our signatures in presence or twowitnesses.

E COLIN P. BROWN. vJQHN. L. UHLIK.

' Witnessesz Lewis E. Ifnaxnnns, Ann -ii M. SHANNON.

hinges connecting them to the central portlon a'ndmamtamrng themnormally. in

movement in one direction only-the pivot bemember and laterally thereof,a tensiondenation with the chassis, of buffer casings

